1st Trip to NO: final thoughts

So yes, you can add me to the list of people who loves New Orleans. It was everything I thought it would be, was hoping it would be, even more.

The music, the street performers, the artist, the food, the ambiance, just great!!

How anyone can be bored on vacation in NO is beyond me. I was there for a week %26amp; 1/2, and I didn%26#39;t have a chance to do everything I wanted to do (even without getting sick), let alone everything there is to see and do. And I only made it through 1/2 of my list of restaurants I wanted to try, there%26#39;s just not enough hours in the day.

Bourbon St: I enjoyed it very much. Where else can you get 5 different kinds of music in a 1 block radius. I didn%26#39;t see anything rude or disgusting or anything like that.

And nobody ever mentionned that for every 2 bars on Bourbon, there%26#39;s a souvenir shop. :)

Speaking of souvenirs, yes wait to buy them at the French Market. Everything is cheaper. Exception: those souvenir t.shirts you see 4 for 20$, they are the same price at the souvenirs shops or at the market. I even saw them 5 for 20$ a couple of times at the stores.

Souvenirs at stores: if you see something you really like, especially if it%26#39;s something a bit on the expensive side, make a note of where you saw it and the price and keep checking. Most stores have the same items, but at different prices. I bought a couple of glasses, and I saw those same glasses 5$ more each just 2 doors down. Same thing with a picture frame I bought.

Getting around: it is true that you can walk everywhere%26#39;s in the French Quarter, everything is close to each other. Fixing the sidewalks would be nice though, at least start with filling in the holes, never mind cracks. You gotta watch

you%26#39;re step as you%26#39;re looking up at buildings. Walk slowly. :)

Safety as a solo female traveller: I never felt unsafe, or even uneasy. I was never approached with malice or even by drunk people. Granted I was never out later than 11, 11:30pm but still. I stayed on the major streets in the light when walking after dark, had no problems what so ever. There%26#39;s always people around.

Funny thing: I was going back to my hotel one day, it was late afternoon, with a Pat O%26#39;s hurricane in my hand. A guy approached me very nicely and asked if he could maybe have a sip or 2 of my drink (he had an empty cup in his hand). I was so surprised and burst out laughing so hard that I did give him a bit. You%26#39;d expect something like that at night, but in the afternoon??? Too funny.

Oh, almost forgot. I bought a fabulous painting on my last Sunday at Jackson Square, so I have a permanent reminder of my trip on my living room wall.

Will I be back?? DEFINITELY!!!! When, as soon as possible. I do feel cheated out of the FQF as I missed 2 days, but I%26#39;m sure it would be great fun to be there for halloween too, soooo..... Gotta look at the budget, make some cuts somewhere%26#39;s so I can save up more money as fast as possible. :-)

Now I know what it means to miss New Orleans.

1st Trip to NO: final thoughts

I enjoyed reading all of these. Thank you.

1st Trip to NO: final thoughts

Thanks so much for your very detailed and awesome to read TR! I especially appreciate the feedback about being a solo female traveler, since I%26#39;m going on my first solo trip anywhere soon. I%26#39;m already thinking about getting some friends together for Halloween, though. :) Hmmmmmm...I think I%26#39;ll do some searching on the forum for that next!

Thanks again, Porelly!

Awwwwww porelly, I am so glad your trip was everything you wanted it to be. Except for the getting sick part. We really wanted to meet you, so I am sorry you didn%26#39;t make it to the M%26amp;G.

And to think, we were in the parade that passed right by your hotel! If I had known to look up, I would have seen you then!

Time to start planning your next trip. In the meantime, get the little book ';Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans,'; by David Rutledge. It will mean a lot to you now.

We%26#39;re already planning next years trip to the FQF. And my husband and I are going down this fall too.I just can%26#39;t stay away long.

I enjoy reading these reports-Its always a learning experience. Anyone buying the souvenier t-shirts please take a look at the quality of the t-shirt and usually 100% cotton and a brand name helps-and first time washing have the shirt inside out. Some of the real bargain shirts just don%26#39;t last and some bargains are truly bargains.

Thanks for your lovely trip report series! There%26#39;s still a lot left for you to do here, so come on back soon!

porelly, I%26#39;m so glad that you enjoyed New Orleans and are planning on going back. You are right about the potholes in the street, I had a sprained ankle that hurt for 3 months after my last trip to New Orleans.

I hope you are able to make it back for Halloween, that is always a great time to be in New Orleans!

Porelly, I%26#39;m missing NO after reading your report. Thanks for sharing.

thanks for these thoughts! I am so glad you bought some local art. Come back soon! :)

Great reports, some of the best I have ever read. I%26#39;m glad you had a great time and that you%26#39;ve fallen in love with the city. Hopefully you will get to come back again soon.

Loved reading your reports and I%26#39;m going to miss having a new chapter. I was so glad that you New Orleans met your expectations....I fell in love with it on my first trip, too. Thanks for sharing the fun!

Best Night of the Week - Frenchman St.

We%26#39;ll be in NO Wednesday, May 6 through Saturday, May 9. Just wondering if any certain night of the week or another is better on Frenchman St.

Best Night of the Week - Frenchman St.

I prefer Friday and Saturday nights on Frenchmen St - usually that%26#39;s when my favorites perform at Snug Harbor - but there%26#39;s always good music abound. The other days of the week I prefer the Uptown scene.

Best Night of the Week - Frenchman St.

Thanks for your quick reply....I was quessing that the weekend was best....I know we%26#39;ll hear great music no matter when or where we go, but just didn%26#39;t want to miss out...

Thursday is pretty good too.

Thursday night head to Vaughn%26#39;s (Bywater) or Le Bon Temps Roule (Uptown) :)

I think Thursday- Saturday are the best nights - Frenchman is such a great area that so many tourists miss completely!

I dunno, Supreme. I think the tourists have fully discovered Frenchmen. We went out Saturday (granted, it was Jazz Fest) and the street looked like Mardi Gras on Bourbon.

Thanks for all the tips!!!!

Walter Wolfman Washington places at D.B.A. on Wednesdays.

Are places open on Frenchman on Sun/Mon nights? Any music on those nights?

Yup, you%26#39;ll find music on Frenchmen pretty much all seven nights of the week i.e. Snug Harbor, etc...

Best Wine Shop

Coming in for Jazzfest and looking for best wine shop in terms of selection in city. Would like nice selection of wines in the $40-$80 retail price range. Anyone have any leads?

Best Wine Shop

I guess I%26#39;d try Martin Wine Cellar at 3500 Magazine.

Best Wine Shop

If you are staying in the FQ, Vieux Carre Wine and Spirits is in the 400 block of Chartres. Good prices and extensive selection.

As mentioned, Martin (Metairie and Magazine Street locations) is also a great wine store.

Thanks for input--you triggered my memory--although Martin%26#39;s is physically larger we liked selection better at Vieux Carre.

Much thanks

Anyone have any experience with the New Orleans Grapevine Wine Bar %26amp; Bistro right near Jackson Square?

Parameter.Add()

Zoo to Jacques Imos

Would Jaques Imos be walkable from the Zoo? Directions?

Zoo to Jacques Imos

I guess it%26#39;s possible to walk but it%26#39;s quite a hike. You can mapquest the two places to get an exact distance.

From the zoo, I%26#39;d walk through Audubon Park to St. Charles Avenue and then take it to Carrollton to Oak.

IMHO, a cab is a far superior option.

Zoo to Jacques Imos

I would also take a cab, especially since there is ongoing construction at the intersection of Oak St and S. Carrollton that extends a few blocks, so you%26#39;d have to walk down some side streets to get to Jacques-Imo%26#39;s.

New Orleans Antique Shops

anybody ever been to any of the antique shops? Which ones are the best to go to? Also has anyone took a large package back home out of State on an air plane? Is this too expensive to do, rather then just having it mailed?

New Orleans Antique Shops

If you`re into antiques, you can easily lose your mind in New Orleans.

Simply window shopping along Royal Street is an unbelievable experience. There is a vast assortment of fantastic items, both in size, scope, and price.

Magazine Street has fine antique shops that are more affordable, but also lovely.

Most shops do ship their items, I`m sure a lot more reasonably that you could ever take on a plane.

I hope you enjoy your antiqueing!

New Orleans Antique Shops

wow thanks for the wonderful input and advise. Figured they would have an array of antique stores. I am sure alot better then what they have in California. Seeing that the City has the look to go with it as well. I am super excited to bring something old, home with me.

I agree with Nawlins%26#39; post. The shops on Royal and Magazine streets were great to browse around . However just because an item is in an antique shop, it doesn%26#39;t necessary mean it%26#39;s old per se or the price tag is justified.

Royal St. is known worldwide for the antique shops. Most of the ';real'; antiques are expensive, but rare, unusual and the street is an antique lovers%26#39; dream. There are also a couple of ';junk';/antique stores on the lower end of Decatur that have some interesting items. Magazine St. antique stores are good, but spread out....it is a long street. AND if you do buy something and have it shipped home, you will not have to pay sales tax on it.

Food

I think I know what I want to do most nights.. but,

Where are the best places to have brunch, lunch, and dinner?

Food

use the search option here and it will give you a wealth of information so you can be more specific on the foods you like and how much you want to spend..it can vary greatly.

Food

It depends on what you want to spend. A good cheap option that I love is the Clover Grill.

There are so many options for all budget types.

For brunch, I love Commander%26#39;s Palace (Garden District), Arnaud%26#39;s and Mr. B%26#39;s Bistro (French Quarter), and Ralph%26#39;s on the Park (City Park area).

Since we don%26#39;t know how much you want to spend, what you like to eat, etc., it%26#39;s impossible to come up with a ';best'; list. I also suggest that you review the boards and read previous posts. Thousands of great suggestions over the years!

Part 4

Tuesday, the 14th: Today I was taking the afternoon tour to the plantations, so again couldn%26#39;t do much in the am. Figured perfect time to go do some laundry as I%26#39;d already gone through about 1/2 my clothes, and I still had a week to go. :) Went to the Wishing Well accross from Clover Grill. I thought it was a regular laundry mat, but they do you%26#39;re laundry for you. They charge by the weight, you put in your stuff in the washer, they take care of putting it in the dryer and taking it out if you%26#39;re not back b4 it%26#39;s done. Well!! I was more than happy to pay my 7.50$ and off I went to do some more exploring and picture taking. Just walked around the quarter some more.

Picked up my clothes when they were done, dropped them off at the hotel and off to Johnny Poyboy%26#39;s for lunch. I got there around 11:15 and the place was packed!!! No tables, long line to order, I knew there was no way I%26#39;d have time to eat and make it back to the hotel for 12:30, so I circled back to the hotel via Decatur looking for a quick spot to eat lunch. Ended up at the sportsbar restaurant at the corner of Jackson Square. Bluck, overpriced and semi bad service. And they automatically add the tip on the bill. I didn%26#39;t like that at all, especially since it was higher than I would have tipped, but didn%26#39;t have time to argue with whomever, so just paid my bill and left. The most regrettable meal of the whole trip, that%26#39;s for sure.

My plantation tour was to Laura and Oak Alley. We stopped at Laura 1st. It was soooo beautifull %26amp; nice, very informative. I took a lot of pixs. And the size of those slave quarters, and 2 families had to share?!?!?? Good Lord! Talk about sleeping on top of each other. The people who had to sleep on the porch probably had the better deal. :) We stayed about 1h %26amp; 1/2 I%26#39;d say, maybe a tad longer. I bought the book that they made out of Laura%26#39;s diary which was found in archives in St Louis a few years back. The author was there, he gives tours at Laura, so he signed the book for anybody who bought one. It%26#39;ll make interesting reading this summer on vacation at the beach I%26#39;m sure.

We then went to Oak Alley. The house and the grounds are exactly what you%26#39;d picture when u say the word plantation: big, beautifull, sitting on the veranda having a mint julip,etc. But the tour is only 30 mins long %26amp; you can%26#39;t take pictures inside the house (I%26#39;ll admit, I snuck a couple). I have to say, I enjoyed much more Laura plantation. But I%26#39;m glad I saw Oak Alley, don%26#39;t get me wrong. If a person is in that area, they have to stop to see the oak alley. Makes for gorgeous pictures!

We got back to NO around 6pm. Went to Chartres House Cafe for supper. Had a cup of gumbo, yumm, and the duck quesidillas. I was expecting a regular quesidilla, but it was 3 triangles made out of something like phyllo pastry, very flaky, stuffed with the duck mixture. Had some salsa and sour cream on the side. Talk about good, I was quite surprised and impressed. Very yummy, I%26#39;d have to say one of my favorite meals. I had planned on going back but alas, ran out of time.... They also make a mean marguarita which comes in a souvenir glass, plastic. I had no room in the suitcase, so I had to leave it behind.

Then off to Bourbon St again. I started with Cajun/Zydeco music, then some regular rock %26#39;n roll (Elvis, Alanah Myles) and I ended my evening at Fritzels. Was lucky enough to get a seat right up front, so had a great view of the band. Traditional jazz band with a banjo. Very entertaining, a great time. Another place I planned on going back but......

Notice a theme????? Another faaaaaaabulous day!!!

Part 4

This should say part 5. Think it%26#39;s time to quick for today. :-)

Part 4

I%26#39;m loving your reports porelly...and the book you bought at Laura is excellent, I have read it. You will definitely enjoy it.

WTG porelly! You are writing a great TR. It%26#39;s like a good novel, and I am only halfway through it! Keep it up.

judging by the fabulous time you were having, I%26#39;m assuming it was ok as a solo traveller??? I%26#39;ve really considered visiting solo, and am unsure about it, but it sounds like you made it work!!! Good for you...wish I had the courage to do it :)

and PLEASE keep %26#39;em coming!!! I%26#39;m really enoying reading all about your first experience in New Orleans :)

lotion cream